Emma France is California-bound — finally.
On Wednesday, Jasper County Circuit Court Judge David Mouton set aside orders that had made the 95-year-old Carthage woman a ward of Jasper County Public Administrator Rita Hunter.
We say, it’s about time.
Not only did the system rob France of valuable time and peace of mind, it also incarcerated her 67-year-old daughter, Delores Forste, on charges of kidnapping her own mother.
The family members’ lives have been disrupted for a year, ever since Hunter was named France’s guardian last May. Not only has the family paid, but taxpayers have spent money on court proceedings in which the public administrator defended her actions. Taxpayers also paid to extradite Forste, who rode from San Bernardino, Calif., to the Jasper County Jail, shackled between two male prisoners, to face kidnapping charges.
After all that, prosecution was deferred on Forste’s kidnapping charge, and orders making France a county ward were set aside without any court testimony on Wednesday from Hunter or France.
At France’s age, every day is precious.
That she had to spend this time in her later years giving over control to a stranger, when family was available and accessible, clearly points out a problem in the system.
Opinion
In our view: Voice of reason
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Our View: Victims should come first
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Beth Meeker, guest columnist: Same-sex marriage battle a quest for equal rights
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Sunday Forum: 2012 graduation speakers key on tornado, mall school and president’s visit
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Pack mentality takes truth as a casualty
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Your View: ‘Study’ can mean anything
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Our View: Finding middle ground
The G-8 summit held last week in Camp David ended as expected.
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Anson Burlingame, guest columnist: Class of 2012 upholds character, hope
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Scott Charton, guest columnist: 'Deadline in Disaster' film a story about storytellers
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Our View: Make voting easiser
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